More Than You Can Imagine co-owner follows in fashionable footsteps

After building a speech pathology career, shop owner is following in her family's fashion footsteps

Mauri Oliver, who owns River Oaks boutique More Than You Can Imagine with her mother, worked as a speech pathologist before joining the store full time.

Mauri Oliver, who owns River Oaks boutique More Than You Can Imagine with her mother, worked as a speech pathologist before joining the store full time.

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, in Houston. Mauri is a UT Austin grad with a master's from UH and worked as a speech pathologist before joining the store, which is co-owned by her mother Vicki Rizzo. ( Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle ) less

Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, in Houston. Mauri is a UT Austin grad with a master's from UH and worked as a speech ... more

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer

Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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RECENT PURCHASE: Suede "Rooney" boots by Gucci

RECENT PURCHASE: Suede "Rooney" boots by Gucci

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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FAVORITE DRESS: Saint Laurent

FAVORITE DRESS: Saint Laurent

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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FAVORITE LITTLE BLACK DRESS: Chanel

FAVORITE LITTLE BLACK DRESS: Chanel

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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FAVORITE ACCESSORY: a Chanel necklace

FAVORITE ACCESSORY: a Chanel necklace

Photo: Steve Gonzales, Staff

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Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, in Houston. Mauri is a UT Austin grad with a master's from UH and worked as a speech pathologist before joining the store, which is co-owned by her mother Vicki Rizzo. ( Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle ) less

Style profile of Mauri Oliver, co-owner of More Than You Can Imagine boutique, 2817 Westheimer, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, in Houston. Mauri is a UT Austin grad with a master's from UH and worked as a speech ... more

She owns More Than You Can Imagine, an upscale designer resale, consignment and accessories boutique, with her mother, Vicki Rizzo, who opened the store in 1995. Oliver's great grandmother, Anna Novosad, owned a popular dress shop in Rosenberg.

"I was always around fashion," Oliver says, standing in the chic Westheimer store wearing a dress by Houston designer David Peck. "I remember as a child walking around in my mother's boots and spending the day with her shopping at Frost Bros. and Marshall Field's."

But a career in fashion wasn't Oliver's first choice. She found a part-time job in high school with a speech pathologist who worked with children.

"I knew I wanted to help children, so speech pathology seemed like the sensible thing to do," she says.

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Oliver graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders, then earned a master's in speech and language pathology from the University of Houston.

After an internship at M.D. Anderson, Oliver worked in private practice, specializing in speech therapy and language-based learning differences, such a dyslexia.

"There would be times I'd have a patient whom doctors said wouldn't ever speak or read, and we would work through those challenges. It taught me a lot about patience," says Oliver, who occasionally used her own stylish accessories in her practice.

"A lot of children like to play with bracelets. Candy and stickers only go so far."

Even with her career, Oliver kept her hand in fashion working as the accessories buyer for More Than You Can Imagine during her time off. For seven years, she traveled to four markets a year in New York and Los Angeles to buy for the store. She even recalls being photographed by celebrated New York Times street fashion photographer Bill Cunningham during one Big Apple trip.

Earlier this year, Oliver joined her mother in the boutique full time and expanded her role in managing the store. She also spends time researching the history of the many rare designer pieces that come into the store.

Being around fashion all day is a perk of the job, she says.

"I feel like I'm playing dress-up all day," says Oliver. "I love to get dressed up. My mother told me when I was young that it takes just as much time to slip on a dress and heels as it takes to put on yoga pants. That stayed with me."

Home: West Houston

Personal style: Feminine with an edge

Style heroes: Tom Ford, Diana Vreeland

Must keep: Collection of LBDs (little black dresses)

Number of shoes: "More than I care to admit."

Favorite shoe: Christian Louboutin Eel Lady Peep Pumps in rouge

Item she should toss: "Prints, which are my failed attempt at 'branching out' of my solid comfort zone."

Item she can't toss: "My first pair of Lucchese boots that have been resoled too many times to count."

Most stylish outfit: Alexander McQueen cocktail dress from Tootsies

Most regrettable purchase: "I had a brief, shameful Birkenstock moment in college."